Mick Cronin evaluates UCLA's toughness after loss in Pac-12 title game

UCLA fell Saturday night in a heartbreaking loss to Arizona in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Wildcats edged out a 61-59 victory in a game that could have gone either way.

The Bruins played without freshman center Adem Bona, the team’s starting big, after he was injured Friday in the semifinal. That left them without two normal starters with guard Jaylen Clark out for the season as well.

With Boma out, Cronin was asked how his UCLA team showed its toughness during the game.

“We always play with toughness, but we had too many defensive mistakes and gave up too many offensive rebounds in the second half,” Cronin said in his press conference after the game. “But that’s, that’s how we do things. So it’s not a surprise. We compete. It’s five on five. We don’t accept that somebody was out so you’re supposed to lose. We don’t roll like that.”

Kenneth Nwuba earned the start for the Bruins in Boma’s absence and Mac Etienne was the backup big. However, both players ended up fouling out, leaving Cronin’s already thin UCLA rotation even thinner.

Courtney Ramey hit a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left for Arizona to go up 60-58. On the other end, Tyger Campbell drew a foul to go to the line to tie the game. An 84% free throw shooter, Campbell made the first but missed the second.

Azuolas Tubelis did the same on the other end, giving UCLA one final chance. Jaime Jaquez grabbed the rebound and found Dylan Andrews for a final 3-pointer with just one second left. But the shot missed and Arizona won.

“I don’t teach these guys that about life,” Cronin said. “I try to train my guys for life like my father taught me to. So they’re going to have things happen along the way.”